About
Henry Sarjeant
" It is my desire that works of art shall be purchased or acquired on account of their intrinsic value as work of high art only and not because they are specimens of local or colonial art so that the said gallery shall be furnished with works of the highest art in all branches as a means of inspiration for ourselves and those who come after us."
Henry Sarjeant (1830-1912) immigrated to New Zealand from England about 1860 and settled in the Wanganui Region. After his death, Henry's wife Ellen consolidated her husband's interest in the arts which had been
generously provided for in his Will. This document also outlined his intention for quality.
Henry Sarjeant's ability to grasp opportunity in a new land engendered a prosperity that enabled him to facilitate his vision for a culturally invigorating art museum and collection; an institution of national significance throughout the 20th and 21st centuries and one commemorating his name both in New Zealand and beyond.
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The Sarjeant Gallery’s design was settled through a competitive process in 1915. The assessor for the competition was Samuel Hurst Seager, a prominent architect and lecturer in architecture at the Canterbury College School of Art. In 1912 Hurst Seager had published an article on "The Lighting of Picture Galleries and Museums" in the Royal Institute of British Architects, in which he advocated a "Top-Side-Lighted" method of lighting galleries. This system, written into the competition specifications, has since been a key element in the Sarjeant's considerable reputation.
